


The Last String

by Enzuri



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen, God of Time, Memories, One Shot, Sadstuck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-24
Updated: 2013-04-24
Packaged: 2017-12-09 09:52:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/772850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enzuri/pseuds/Enzuri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your name is Dave Strider and you used to hold all the strings of fate. Then you cut them one by one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Last String

**Author's Note:**

> I know that Dave and John have been in the same panel now but this little thing entered my head and I couldn't help it.
> 
> My headcannon is that Dave keeps the memories of all the doomed Daves.

Your name is Dave Strider and you used to hold all the strings of fate. Then you cut them one by one.

Your shades are your shield and you only take them off when you are certain you’re alone, even if Karkat thinks they make you look like a tool. Behind dark lenses hide the dark shadows that have formed under your eyes. All the years added up within them. Sure you’re only a teenager but time travel always takes a toll eventually. Your soul is older than it ever should have been. You’ve got a hundred years on everyone else in this game, on this rock and it’s finally wearing you down. Not that anyone knows that, they all think you’ve got your shit together.

See, every doomed timeline, every dead Dave, they were all you and you’re still them. You lived every second of them. Every time you close your eyes you meet with another memory of a different Dave. You still feel every death too, a phantom pang forever lingering. Every relived death makes you wince, you cover it up with irony and a cool demeanor. No one is the wiser. Sleeping is the worst, constant reruns of mistakes you made. You’re starting to think Karkat might be onto something with his no sleeping rule.

You blink and suddenly you’re staring down at yourself sleeping peacefully, realizing you were never the fracture who was going to make it.

Eyes open, that was ages ago. You pretend the echo of betrayal doesn’t still sting. Not that getting to god tier was even a good idea in the end. You get some shitty cape with your costume and as a god of time you get to see more than you did before. The threads of time are all around and everywhere now that you know how to look. It’s your job to defend them, a knight, this is the right timeline. Besides the other paths that once existed are nothing but frayed ends by now.  
Another secret, everyone assumes time travel is a way to gain infinite lives. It doesn’t. This is your last one.

Eyes close and for a second you’re staring at a pile of bodies, all you, discovering what stole Rose’s notebooks before you fall and join them.

The worst part is now you can see where all the strings end, see the exact moments when all the Daves were plucked and snipped out of existence. Briefly you wonder if Davesprite ever saw time this way with his spritely powers but you decide not. If he had he would have warned you about being so frivolous with your copies. It won’t be long before the last of your strings is cut. Will they be mad you didn’t give them a heads up or do the seers already suspect? If they do they aren’t talking to you about it.

Blink. More flickering memories. More faded feelings. More bullshit.

There’s only one memory you want to see and you can’t because you never made it and now maybe you never will. John’s goofy smile could even make you think it might be alright even when you know it won’t. You wanted to tell him, without your usual irony, that he was the best friend you could of asked for. that he would always be your best bro. Shit you waited years to meet him and now you could see that your fates would never tangle. Maybe you could change that. You hope you can change that.

You blink and tell yourself the clock is ticking on not running out.


End file.
